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After winning just one conference game in 2005 and finishing seventh in the conference standings, the South Dakota School of Mines women’s volleyball team improved by leaps and bounds in 2006, made a strong mid-season run and closed out the season with a 16-18 overall mark and a 6-8 record in the Dakota Athletic Conference as well as earned a berth in the DAC post-season tournament

By Brad Blume
Sports Information Director
South Dakota School of Mines
RAPID CITY --- After winning just one conference game in 2005 and finishing seventh in the conference standings, the South Dakota School of Mines women’s volleyball team improved by leaps and bounds in 2006, made a strong mid-season run and closed out the season with a 16-18 overall mark and a 6-8 record in the Dakota Athletic Conference as well as earned a berth in the DAC post-season tournament.
“I think we took a tremendous stop up from last year, but at the same time I think we understand that we need to take another big step up next year,���� said Hardrocker head coach Doug Tabbert.
After a tough match, the Hardrockers were knocked out of the tournament as saw their season end at the hands of the Valley City Vikings, 3-2.
With just one senior and two juniors to draw leadership from, the Lady Hardrocker got excellent play from their sophomore and freshmen class. Everyone seemed to carry some of the load to give SDM an opportunity to be competitive this season.
“I think we were the most improved team in the conference. I think that is a fair statement,” Tabbert said. “We expected (to be better). I don’t think it was a surprise. We were expected to make a jump up this year.”
With the addition of junior transfer Agnieszka Koperek (Belchow, Poland) added to a core of netters that include: junior Jennie Malone (Rapid City), sophomores Stephanie Carpio (Yuma, Colo.), Amanda Cammack (Sturgis), Tessa Howe (Omaha, Neb.), Jenny Hiykel (Omaha, Neb.) and freshman Katherine Hanson (Sioux Falls), the Hardrockers formed a solid unit that made things difficult from opposing teams.
“We did become a factor in the conference and that was important,” Tabbert added. “We kind of knew coming in who were going to be our top contribitors. No one really burst onto the scene that we weren’t expecting. We pretty much knew who we had to get contributions from.”
Tabbert also said that last season DAC teams looked passed the Hardrockers. But thanks to the level of play this time around, teams will have to take a closer look.
“We earned some respect,” Tabbert said.
Individually, the Hardrockers had two players earn DAC all conference honors in Howe (setter second team) and Koperek (outside hitter second team) as well as four DAC Player of the Week nominations ( Howe twice, Koperek and Hiykel) and a NAIA Regional III Player of the Week nod (Howe) as well.
“Those things always reflect well in our program and on our play,” Tabbert said.
The Hardrockers also were able to hold their own with NCAA Division II schools and even took two matches from Chadron State, winning in three games in both outings.
“That’s two wins over a (NCAA) Div. II School that we wouldn’t even have thought about playing a couple years ago,” he said.
In the conference matchups, South Dakota Mines swept both Minot State and Dakota State, two teams that made quite a bit of noise during the 2005 campaign.
“Those were teams that finished second a year ago. One of them finished second in the conference tournament and the other finished second in the conference season,” Tabbert said. But the feather in the cap that probably defined the season was winning a home DAC match over Jamestown College, a team that had been ranked in the region for pretty much the whole season and also made the DAC tournament semifinals.
Looking down the road, the Hardrockers only lose senior reserve Debra Carlson to graduation. The main core of athletes is likely to return, but with the 2007 season several months away --- one can never tell how it will play out.
“We feel pretty good about what we will return,” Tabbert added.
And as next year goes, Tabbert doesn’t want to rest on his team’s laurels. He said he wants to use what happened this season as a motivator for better things to come.
“We need to be better prepared next year then we were this year,” he said. “We need to win more conference matches on the road. We need to be able to get back into the (conference) tournament and make some progress in that tournament.
“Those are really things that should be more expectations than things to hope for.”

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By Brad Blume
Sports Information Director
South Dakota School of Mines
RAPID CITY --- After winning just one conference game in 2005 and finishing seventh in the conference standings, the South Dakota School of Mines women’s volleyball team improved by leaps and bounds in 2006, made a strong mid-season run and closed out the season with a 16-18 overall mark and a 6-8 record in the Dakota Athletic Conference as well as earned a berth in the DAC post-season tournament.
“I think we took a tremendous stop up from last year, but at the same time I think we understand that we need to take another big step up next year,���� said Hardrocker head coach Doug Tabbert.
After a tough match, the Hardrockers were knocked out of the tournament as saw their season end at the hands of the Valley City Vikings, 3-2.
With just one senior and two juniors to draw leadership from, the Lady Hardrocker got excellent play from their sophomore and freshmen class. Everyone seemed to carry some of the load to give SDM an opportunity to be competitive this season.
“I think we were the most improved team in the conference. I think that is a fair statement,” Tabbert said. “We expected (to be better). I don’t think it was a surprise. We were expected to make a jump up this year.”
With the addition of junior transfer Agnieszka Koperek (Belchow, Poland) added to a core of netters that include: junior Jennie Malone (Rapid City), sophomores Stephanie Carpio (Yuma, Colo.), Amanda Cammack (Sturgis), Tessa Howe (Omaha, Neb.), Jenny Hiykel (Omaha, Neb.) and freshman Katherine Hanson (Sioux Falls), the Hardrockers formed a solid unit that made things difficult from opposing teams.
“We did become a factor in the conference and that was important,” Tabbert added. “We kind of knew coming in who were going to be our top contribitors. No one really burst onto the scene that we weren’t expecting. We pretty much knew who we had to get contributions from.”
Tabbert also said that last season DAC teams looked passed the Hardrockers. But thanks to the level of play this time around, teams will have to take a closer look.
“We earned some respect,” Tabbert said.
Individually, the Hardrockers had two players earn DAC all conference honors in Howe (setter second team) and Koperek (outside hitter second team) as well as four DAC Player of the Week nominations ( Howe twice, Koperek and Hiykel) and a NAIA Regional III Player of the Week nod (Howe) as well.
“Those things always reflect well in our program and on our play,” Tabbert said.
The Hardrockers also were able to hold their own with NCAA Division II schools and even took two matches from Chadron State, winning in three games in both outings.
“That’s two wins over a (NCAA) Div. II School that we wouldn’t even have thought about playing a couple years ago,” he said.
In the conference matchups, South Dakota Mines swept both Minot State and Dakota State, two teams that made quite a bit of noise during the 2005 campaign.
“Those were teams that finished second a year ago. One of them finished second in the conference tournament and the other finished second in the conference season,” Tabbert said. But the feather in the cap that probably defined the season was winning a home DAC match over Jamestown College, a team that had been ranked in the region for pretty much the whole season and also made the DAC tournament semifinals.
Looking down the road, the Hardrockers only lose senior reserve Debra Carlson to graduation. The main core of athletes is likely to return, but with the 2007 season several months away --- one can never tell how it will play out.
“We feel pretty good about what we will return,” Tabbert added.
And as next year goes, Tabbert doesn’t want to rest on his team’s laurels. He said he wants to use what happened this season as a motivator for better things to come.
“We need to be better prepared next year then we were this year,” he said. “We need to win more conference matches on the road. We need to be able to get back into the (conference) tournament and make some progress in that tournament.
“Those are really things that should be more expectations than things to hope for.”

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